Oversharing on Social Media and Etiquette Tips

In the day and age of social media and little to no privacy, it may be doing more harm than good to your social life. To add more fuss, the kids of this day and age sit at somewhat of a disadvantage. We all have friends, or know of people who post pictures of their kids multiple times a day, with no end in sight. This cannot only be draining for the followers, but it can also lead to embarrassment later on in their adult lives. On a more professional level, there have been people simply not hired for jobs based on their social media profiles, and what they decide to share with the world. There are many etiquette tips you can follow, as well as signs to be aware of regarding too much sharing on social media.

Social Media Etiquette

Always remember, once you share it on the Internet, it is logged and stays there forever (even if you remove it). Is it something you would want your parents, or employer to see?

Photo Etiquette: Just because you took 1,000 photos on your trip to Europe over the summer does not mean you should post them all to the social media world!

Photo Tagging: Everyone is so critical about the way they look in photos, so be mindful that just because you look good in a photo doesn’t mean your friend wants her bad photo plastered all over her page. Ask, or simply let friends tag themselves if they want it on their profile.

Negative Comments: It can always be hard when someone posts something negative or hurtful on your social media sites. Instead of getting into a full blown typing war, simply step away and do not respond. If it is a big enough issue, it is best to call the person or meet with them to iron out the details.

Food and Workout Posts: This pertains especially to Facebook and Instagram, but posting daily about your meals and workouts are not going to turn out in your favor (unless you are being paid to market a product, or represent a brand regarding these issues). Food never looks as good in a photo than it does on your plate, so just take a mental snapshot of your delicious dish instead. On the flip side, every time you post your workout it seems like you are tooting your own horn, which comes across the wrong way.

Status Updates: This is referring to Facebook specifically. No one needs to know what you are doing 24 hours of the day. It is rather annoying to followers to know TMI (too much information) about your life, and how you spend every second of your time. Instead, make a weekly post or even bi-weekly which then leaves a little mystery.

6 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Post:

Will anyone truly care about this post besides me?

Did I check for grammatical errors before posting?

How many times have I posted today? (Anything over 2 or 3 times can become a little much.)

Am I venting, and using social media as an emotional punching bag? If so, it may be better to sleep on it before posting to the entire world.

Who am I trying to reach by posting this?

Is this post putting my home and family in danger (example: telling the world you are out of town sets your home up for an easier burglary).

Whether you are on social media everyday or you hardly know how to operate and make sense of it all, it is good to know basic etiquette. Taking the time to thoughtfully post, and comment can give you much more peace and less drama in your life. If you are a parent, think about your children in 5-10 years before you post their first time successfully using the toilet or their latest spit up mess for the world to see.